Heavy Equipment Mechanics

There are many occupations and professions that run a higher than normal risk of coming into contact with asbestos and asbestos fibers. Asbestos was used heavily in many fields including oil refineries, power plants, chemical plants, paper mills and ship building. Folks in the shipping industry also came into contact with asbestos on a regular basis, and today, even with all of the knowledge we have about asbestos, people who work in the field of construction still risk exposure if they're not careful. One group of professionals I hadn't considered to be at risk, at least until I had done some research, are the mechanics who work on heavy equipment.

Asbestos Exposure

As the vehicle was in operation, these parts would release a lot of fibers into the air. When a mechanic would go in to replace brake shoes or gaskets, they would stir up the dust and the fibers would become airborne. Especially in a garage that had poor ventilation, the dust would float around for a long time and the mechanics would breathe in and swallow these fibers. The use of asbestos in the manufacture of products was, for the most part, stopped by the early 1980s, but there are still parts out there today that have asbestos. If there is a mechanic who believes that he may be handling asbestos laden materials, there are a number of safety precautions he can take, like wearing a respirator and cleaning thoroughly. Make sure to check your local OSHA standards for rules and regulations when handling asbestos

Heavy Equipment Asbestos Uses

It's estimated that asbestos was added to over 3,000 common products. Most of them were created for the housing industry and different construction industries. Asbestos was also used when putting heavy equipment together and in the manufacture of many of the replacement parts. The brake pad, shoes and drums were asbestos containing products. Since asbestos can also stand up to pressure, there were a large number of gaskets made with asbestos. The clutching system would also have a few asbestos containing components, and there are some electrical wires that had a coating made from asbestos.

What Heavy Equipment Mechanics Should Know

Once the fibers contained in the dust are inhaled by someone, there is no way for them to get out of the lungs. So they sit there. It sometimes takes years for the damage done by asbestos exposure to become evident. When it does, though, there are two primary conditions that come about. The first and most common is called asbestosis. The fibers have a tendency to scratch up the delicate tissues in the lungs as they move with respiration. The lungs heal, but they lose some of their capacity to pull oxygen from the air. This is constantly repeated until the victim begins to have problems breathing. This disease can be fatal and, in fact, many people have died from this condition. It is treatable, however, if caught early enough. It's even possible that a lung transplant can be performed which will increase the individuals odds of living a normal life and lifespan. However, there is no cure.

The other asbestos related disease, which, again, can take years to develop, is mesothelioma cancer. Those who have asbestosis must be closely monitored because they have a much higher risk of developing this and other cancers. The asbestos fibers are carcinogens that affect the tissues that line the inside of the body. It's called the mesothelium and it's meant to separate and protect the vital organs. Once tumors form in this lining, the function of the organs can be greatly affected. This cancer, which is called mesothelioma, also spreads to other parts of the body very quickly. Again, there is no cure and there aren't really any affective treatment options yet. The lifespan of an individual diagnosed with mesothelioma is about eighteen months.

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